The Separation Prophecy
by Jambammer
Summary: From the Forever Angel series; "You're going to lose him." Is it possible to change what's been foretold? When it comes to The Sleeping Dead and a four year old boy, some things, even the Doctor can't control.
1. To Somewhere Fun and Colourful!

A/N: Welcome all to the next in my Gabriel saga :D For new readers, the first stories were **The Forever Angel** followed by **The Traveller. **I reccomend reading those before proceeding into this one. As a quick recap (for those who'd rather not read or just need a refresher):

The Forever Angel: The Doctor promises to rescue a street girl from her entrapment. As soon as she's on the Tardis, their minds are taken over by a foreign being. Missy awakes later on to find she's visibly pregnant, and the Doctor determines that time's been sped up. Mere hours later, their son is born, and the Doctor names him Gabriel Eilam, his angel forever. When the Doctor meets those responsible for the mind control, he finds out they're not at all what he expected. Neither was Missy, who's abducted.

The Traveller: With a baby only a few months old, The Doctor had been living a relatively quiet life aboard the Tardis. That is, until a young man claiming to be of Time Lord descent appears on board. Before he leaves, he gives the Doctor a grave warning about his son: "You're going to lose him."

Oh yes, and one more thing: If any of you like rock music, there's a band on Myspace that I found called Ever Changing Weather. I encourage you to search them and give their songs a listen, particularly Weeping Angels. You'll like that one if you like Doctor Who ;D

* * *

"So Gabey, where're we off to?" The elder Time Lord asked excitedly, leaning to see around the Tardis controls. His four year old son, barely the height of the edge of the control panel, scampered to the seats and clumsily climbed up.

"Somewhere fun!" Gabriel answered, clipping on the seatbelt with unsteady young hands.

Somewhere fun… a barber shop perhaps?

If only. His sandy brown hair, the colour of his mothers hair, was a messy mop on his head. He didn't let anyone near his hair, not even his father. The Doctor wasn't overly happy about it, but he hoped it was just a phase.

"Somewhere fun," the Doctor echoed aloud, thinking to himself.

"Yeah!" Gabriel cheered in agreement. "Really fun!"

His father grinned. "And colourful, Gabey?"

That was another phase the boy was in; colours. Everything needed colours. Even the little suit he wore had a bright lime green shirt and royal blue tie. Fashion sense didn't matter to the four year old; only colours.

Oh yes, and he had to be like Daddy in every way. He always wore a tiny suit, and the Doctor had managed to put together a toy screwdriver for him, which he used with great enthusiasm.

Except for his hair. No one touched his hair.

The boy beamed. "Really colourful! Super colourful!"

The Doctor laughed. "Super colourful!" He repeated, mimicking his son's enthusiasm. "All buckled up?"

"Yep! Now let's go!" Gabriel bounced in his seat, eager to reach wherever they were off to. The Doctor looked down at the controls; he still hadn't decided on a location. "Let's go, Daddy! Hurry up!" Crossing his arms across his small chest, it was apparent the boy was growing ever impatient.

"Don't whine, Gabriel," the Doctor scolded, and the boy lowered his head.

"Can you please hurry?" Gabriel offered after a moment, giving his father the best puppy dog eyes he could manage.

"All right," his father grinned. It was impossible to discipline the young Time Lord some days. "Here we go!" He exclaimed, throwing down a switch.

Gabriel squealed in anticipation as the Tadis came to life, whisking the two off to a new destination.

When it had stopped, the Doctor excitedly ran over to the door. "You're going to love this, Gabey," he grinned, swinging open the door, but the sights that met his eyes came like a slap to the face.

This was definitely not where he had wanted.


	2. Nothing Lasts Forever

The sky was dark with gloomy clouds as a cold, miserable rain poured down. In the distance, he could hear the threatning booms of thunder. The ground at his feet was water, murky water. A large wall made of the seemingly drowning earth rose up nearby.

It was exactly the opposite of what Gabriel had wanted.

Shouts of many voices echoed from around him, but the only one he heard was that of his son who was scampering through his legs and out the door before he could stop him.

"Gabriel!" He cried as he watched his precious boy, his world, being scooped up into the arms of strangers. Bolting after him, the Doctor soon found himself restrained by strong arms.

"Take him inside!" He heard the voices shout, talking about his son. As the Doctor fought, twisted and pulled with all his might, he watched helplessly as his son was taken out of sight. His son didn't go without a fight, but what's a four year old to grown men?

"Daddy!"

"Gabriel!"

The rain poured down his face, plastering his now drenched hair to his face. With all the liquid pouring down, he didn't know if he was crying or not. Where were they taking him? Why were they taking him? He was just a child!

"If you harm a single hair on his head I will kill you," the Doctor hissed to the man holding him as he tried to struggle once more.

"He's safe with my men. Who are you?" A gruff voice demanded. "How did you get here?"

It was hard to answer that when he didn't know himself. "I'm the Doctor," he finally answered reluctantly, calming somewhat and allowing his senses to return. "The boy is my son, Gabriel. I don't know why we're here. I don't even know where we are!"

The grip on his arms lessened somewhat and the Doctor was glad to receive circulation back to his hands. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Something hidden in his voice claimed that he already did.

"It's the truth," the Doctor insisted, wishing to have his arms back. "We... travel. All around."

The man sighed. "Oh, you're one of _those._ I see." One of what? The Doctor's brow creased with confusion. "I'll have to report on you then. In the meantime, since you're no doubt wondering, this is September, 1915. Welcome to the War."

* * *

The Doctor held his young son close as the two sat on the edge of one of the bunks inside the dug out. Cuddled up against his father, Gabriel watched what was happening with a childish innocence through half lidded eyes. It reminded his father of a couple years back when the boy was incredibly shy. Usually he wasn't anymore, but as they sat here now, the Doctor stroking his head gently, the boy seemed to want to have nothing to do with anyone or anything else.

The Doctor couldn't say that he blamed him.

It was just the two of them, and the man who had caught him earlier, whose name he now knew to be Captain Jacob Turner. The blonde haired man who couldn't have been more then twenty to twenty five paced back and forth across the floor. The rest of the soldiers had been sent out on various tasks, but the Doctor knew that was just an excuse to keep them out.

"I-I'm sorry we don't have much to offer him, or you," Jacob apologised, "the trenches are not exactly where one would expect to find a child."

"No indeed not," the Doctor agreed, holding Gabriel tighter. "This wasn't exactly where I had wanted to take him."

"You'd have been out of your mind if it were," Jacob replied grimly, holding his arms behind his back as he turned on his heel. "Where were you headed anyways? Which time?"

Jacob knew far more about time travel then the Doctor could have ever expected. He watched the young man with a curious fascination. "About 90 years from now. I was taking him to a place in America."

Disneyland. How could the Tardis have gotten the trenches of the first world war confused for Disneyland? Dark, gloomy trenches filled with pain and suffering and misery compared to a bright and sunny amusement park filled with colour and wonder.

The only colour this place held was the deep red of spilt blood.

"You can't tell me more because of time lines and all that nonsense, I know," Jacob pitched in solemnly with a deep breath.

"How?" Gabriel's tiny voice asked, and it was the first thing he had said since they arrived. The suddenness surprised both men.

The well built soldier didn't answer at first, but continued his pacing. "I have met another like you," he finally responded. "I met him shortly before all this madness began. I... I was so arrogant then. I figured all of this would be settled within a matter of weeks. I didn't think it could last. I didn't even tell her..." He trailed off, having already said more then he cared to. Clearing his throat, he continued. "The man I met, he said that this comes to an end. Is it true?"

The Timelord looked back, considering his answer. "Everything comes to an end eventually. Nothing can last throughtout time, forever." Some things just lasted longer then others. He hated his own words. They reminded him of the terrible reality; he couldn't be with Gabriel forever. He couldn't keep him safe forever.

_You're going to lose him._

Those words still haunted him deeply.

"The rain will stop soon," Jacob stated, looking at the world outside.

"Yeah?" the Doctor asked, and the young man nodded.

"As you said yourself, nothing lasts forever."


	3. The Sleeping Dead

* * *

It wasn't long before the Doctor found himself holding a limp, very asleep little boy in his arms. Noticing, a soft smile spread over Jacob's mouth.

"He was tired," the man observed.

The Doctor laughed quietly, looking down at his son fondly. "Apparently. You wouldn't have known it when we left."

"That's the way it is with children."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, yeah I suppose it is. One moment they're bouncing off the walls, the next they're out like a light."

The other man just nodded, drifting back into his own head, the place he'd been for much of the evening. Jacob, who was sitting in a chair looked up suddenly. "You say your name is the Doctor? Does this mean you have medical training?"

The Time Lord was taken aback by the abruptness of the question. "I... some I suppose..." He answered, but before he could further question the man, Captain Turner was already on his feet.

"Leave your son here. He can sleep and I'll post a man to make sure he's well guarded and safe. I, however, need you to come with me." Grabbing his coat off the hook on the wall, Jacob looked like he was still lost in the workings of his mind but there was a definite etching of hope now on his face.

Somewhat hesitantly, the Doctor laid Gabriel slowly down onto the bunk bed. Carefully so to wake him as little as possible, he removed the boy's jacket. As he pulled off the left sleeve, his hand brushed against the metal bracelet the boy wore.

He sighed.

Pulling the blanket up over the sleeping body, the boy stirred a bit before returning to the stillness of his slumber. The Doctor smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to the tiny forehead. "I'll be back soon," he promised, though he wasn't sure that his son heard. From what he could tell, Gabriel was lost in the vast world of his dreams, a place the Doctor knew would be colourful and entertaining, a place that was safe and secure.

The place they were supposed to be right now.

"Bye Daddy," he heard a tiny, groggy voice call as he walked through the doorway with Jacob.

Turning, he waved goodbye to the boy while Jacob flagged down one of his men.

"You are to stand guard here and make sure no one goes in or out. The boy in there is your top priority. Anything happens to him, there will be consequences, do I make myself clear?" Jacob ordered the man sternly.

"Sir yes sir!" The man replied before dutifully taking his post.

Jacob nodded, then beckoned the Doctor. "Right then, this way."

* * *

"How long have they been like this?" The Doctor asked gravely, running his sonic screwdriver down the body of a comatose man.

"It varies with each man. From as much as a month to only a day or so ago. They just drop, and we can not wake them," Jacob told him somberly. "From what we've determined, it is not contagious as it's only these six who've been affected."

"Did they have anything in common?" He asked, running his screwdriver over the next man.

Jacob shook his head. "Only that they're here, in the war with the rest of us."

"Don't you have a doctor here?" The Doctor asked, and Jacob pointed to the body beside him.

"He was the third to become like this."

"Of course he was," the Doctor murmured to himself, turning his sonic aid to the body of the young medically trained man.

He was the same as all the others. If the screwdriver wasn't reading vital signs - faint, but there none the less - the Doctor would have sworn he was dead. The unlucky man's skin was whiter then a fresh sheet of paper, and it felt colder then ice to touch. It was the same for all the others as well. They looked dead. They felt dead. But, somehow, they weren't.

"How did you know they were still alive?" The Doctor asked curiously, looking over the bodies. Even he would mistake them for dead, how could a human have known differently?

"Another man was sent in to assess our situation after I reported that I thought three of our men had died for no apparent reason. He looked them over, and told me that they were still alive," Jacob explained, crossing his arms. "He left shortly after we found the fourth one. He said he was going to find an expert on the matter."

"Good luck to him with that," the Time Lord said with a shake of his head, "I don't think he'll be too successful."

Jacob stood up from leaning against the wall. "What makes you say that? Have you determined what it is?"

He had, but how to explain this? The man was able to grasp the time travelling just fine, or so he guessed, but this could be different. "Yeah, yeah I believe so."

Anticipation dripped from Jacob's words. "Well come on then, what is it?"

The Doctor clicked off his screwdriver and gazed back at the man. "Tell me, Captain Jacob Turner... Do you believe in aliens?"

* * *

Jacob sat with his head in his hands.

"Aliens."

"Yup."

"Here."

"It would seem so, yes."

"From another world."

"That's generally where aliens come from, yes," the Doctor couldn't help the sarcasm leaking into his voice. Perhaps the young man hadn't been quite ready for this after all.

"Are... you..."

"Yes."

"And... Gabriel?"

The Doctor rubbed the back of his head. "I think he's half human actually. There are things I'm not sure about with him."

Jacob looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"It's a long story," the Doctor brushed it off, going back to the subject at hand. "What matters right now are your men. They're gravely sick. The illness, when translated to English, means 'the sleeping dead.' I won't try to explain the details, but basically your men will appear dead. Any human doctor would pronounce them dead."

Jacob looked as though he were trying to process all of this. "But they're alive?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes."

"What would have happened if I hadn't met that man, if I had assumed them dead?"

"They would have been buried, and eventually died." Jacob stood up quickly and turned his back to the Doctor, disgusted by what he heard. "I'm sorry, but you wouldn't have been the first to make the mistake," he tried to assure the troubled man.

"I would have killed those men!" Jacob was furious with himself, shocked with himself. "It would have been their blood on my hands! Haven't enough people died?"

"Jacob, listen to me," the Doctor followed the man with his eyes. "They're not dead. We caught it before you could do anything harmful to them. It's because you listened to the man that they are still alive! There are others out there that wouldn't have done that."

Stopping his pacing, Jacob collapsed back down into his seat and sunk his face back into his hands.

"No one would have blamed you," the Doctor continued. "No one would have known. Not even you."

"Does that make it right?" He asked, looking up, his hands trembling. The Time Lord couldn't answer. Instead, he turned his eyes down to the ground. "Can you help them?" Jacob finally asked, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"Yes," the Doctor answered, but he wasn't sure. "The man, the one they sent to see what was going on... was he the time traveller you spoke of before?"

Jacob nodded. "He said he came from a far away time, and that he was been passing through when he heard officials speaking about the situation. Claiming to me a medical expert, they decided to send him out. Why I don't know, but they did. You know the rest."

The Doctor nodded. "If he was able to diagnose this as sleeping dead, why would he run off to find an expert? Clearly he would be the expert," he mused to himself. Somehow, the pieces just didn't fit. "May I ask his name?"

To his surprise, the soldier shook his head. "Time lines. He said I wasn't to give his name, no matter who asked." Jacob was quiet. "Now that I think about it, he did specify that you weren't to know. He said, 'no one, no soldier, man, or doctor can know.' His wording seemed so strange until now." Jacob raised questioning brown eyes to the Doctor's. "He knows you."


	4. I Won't Lose Him

* * *

_He knows you._

_You're going to lose him._

_He knows you._

_You're going to lose him._

Thoughts echoed around his head, bouncing around like rubber balls, rubber balls that never lost their speed or force. Instead they just continually bounced, making him want to forget more and more by the moment, but he knew he never could.

Order. He needed order. If he dealt with them, sorted through them, they may not haunt him as badly.

The traveller that had come through here knew him. How had he known him? Was it someone he had met before? Jack perhaps? No... No it couldn't be Jack. Jack should be somewhere in this time, but he was serving as a soldier. He wasn't hopping about the times, he was stuck, if the Doctor recalled right, in the time stream, going through time as any other human being would.

Eilam? He had only met the young Time Lord once, and that was nearly four years ago. Eilam had remained quiet about who he was, and where he'd been. Was it possible that he could have come here, to this time? Normally, the Doctor would have said yes, but something about the memory didn't seem to fit right. Eilam hadn't struck him as the kind of person who'd rush off into battle. In many ways, he saw himself reflected in the young Time Lord; he seemed the type to think things through, and find other solutions besides violence. Then again, everyone could be full of surprises, so yes, it could have been Eilam, but it was unlikely.

Gabriel? His son, from the future in a time where he was grown? The Doctor liked this idea because it meant he was successfull in protecting his baby boy. This again seemed unlikely. Eilam had come from a time in the future, that was clear. If he had come from there, then he surely knew what was coming. That something wasn't good for his son. Gabriel was an unlikely choice just because of the future that already lay out for him.

But could he change this future? Keep Gabriel safe so he can grow up?

The Doctor looked at his sleeping son through the dim light. Why would anyone want to hurt something so sweet and precious? Gabriel's mouth was open as he took deep, restful breaths. His tiny hands were curled up into fists by his face. The boy had an innocent look to him, which he still was at such a young age. To his proud and worried father, he looked just like what he had been named for;

An angel.

Who could hurt an angel? Why?

_You're going to lose him._

"No," the Doctor spoke aloud. "No I won't. I can't."

"Daddy?" Gabriel asked drowsily, waking from his sleep and blinking to focus his eyes.

"Hey Gabey," he smiled, trying to wipe any trace of his thoughts from his face. "Did I wake you up?"

"Mhm," the boy answered, rubbing his eyes with both of his fists. "You were gone a long time."

"Was I?" The Doctor asked with a small laugh that he prayed his son wouldn't know was half forced. "Yeah, guess I was. I'm sorry."

"It s'okay," Gabriel mumbled, evident that he was on the verge of falling back asleep. "Don't go away that long again."

"I won't, Gabey, promise," he meant it as he leaned over to kiss his son's head. "You go back to sleep now."

"Kay." Almost at once, his small eyelids fluttered shut. The Doctor smiled sadly and pulled the blanket up higher.

"I won't lose you," he whispered to the boy. "I won't let that happen."

_You're going to lose him._

* * *

"What do I need to know, Doctor?" Jacob asked. A few hours sleep seemed to have done him wonders. He looked better then he had, ready to accept the fact that this was not an enemy he had ever seen, ready to accept that it wasn't even human.

"The aliens we're dealing with are called Laemosia, and they're cowards," the Doctor explained, pacing across the dirt floor. "The way they kill is to get the victim's species to kill their own."

"By believing their own is dead," Jacob surmised mournfully. "Like I would have done."

"You didn't, so let it go," The Doctor warned. "If you let it haunt you, you'll lose your mind."

Reluctantly, Jacob nodded and rubbed his forehead. "How do we stop them?"

This was the hard part. "We have to find them. The good news is they only send in one at a time so they don't cause suspicion."

Jacob sat up more, leaning his elbows on his knees. "What's the bad news?"

"They disguise themselves as part of the species they're attacking," the Doctor told him gravely. "They get close to win trust."

The light bulb switched on in the young man's mind. "Are you saying it's one of my men?"

The Time Lord nodded slightly. "I'm afraid so."

"No!" The blonde man rose to his feet as though offended. "I trust those men with my life!"

"That's the point," the Doctor told him quietly. "The more you trust them, the easier it is for them to strike."

The distraught captain shook his head in disbelief, and the Doctor wouldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was involved in a nightmare to begin with, and in a matter of hours the nightmare had turned from worse to hell. Trust was the only thing these men had left, and even that had now been ripped away from them.

"How do we know who it is?" The young captain sounded numb, but he pressed himself on none the less.

"There's no easy way to tell," the Doctor wished with everything he had that there was. "We're going to have to catch him in the act."

"More will end up like this?" The man yelped, and the Doctor nodded.

"But not many if we work together!" The Time Lord assured him. "The thing with this disease is that it has to be transferred by a physical touch. It can be as simple as brushing against someone's hand by accident, but as long as they can touch your skin, you're infected. Once you're infected, you'll just drop, anywhere from one to five hours later."

"You...you should go check on your son," Jacob said darkly, turning away.

The Doctor started to speak, but decided against it. Nodding, he turned and let the brooding captain be.

* * *

Though the Doctor tried to enter quietly in case his boy was asleep, he was heard by the young Time Lord who had been playing with his toy screwdriver. His eyes lit up the moment he recognized the footsteps.

"Daddy!" Gabriel squealed, holding out his arms and running to his father as fast as he could.

"Hey, Gabey!" The Doctor laughed, bending down to scoop up his young son and swing him around. "Did you miss me?"

Gabriel grinned but shook his head, his shaggy, mouse-brown hair covering his eyes. "No."

"No?" The boy giggled. "You didn't miss me?" The Doctor asked, pretending to be hurt. "Guess I have to put you down then."

"No!" Gabriel cried, throwing his arms around his father's neck and holding on tightly. "Don't want down. I missed you," he added sweetly.

"Good, I missed you too," the Doctor hugged him close and caught the look on the face of the watching soldier. The man was clearly displeased, and he made no attempt to hide his feelings. "What's on your mind, private?"

"It's just... When I signed up for this, I did not think I was signing up to be a nursemaid," he said bluntly, looking away from the two.

"Oh, Gabriel's not that bad, is he?" The Doctor asked, looking at Gabriel accusingly, but he quickly shook his head in denial.

"I'm good!" He insisted with the utmost urgency.

"He's fine," the soldier agreed, "I don't care for children. I want to be out there, doing something," he pointed out the door to the distance where the gunshots could be faintly heard. "I want action!"

"Your day will come," the Doctor told him somberly. "Enjoy the life you have now, for you might not have it tomorrow."

The soldier snorted. "At this rate, I'll have it until I have lived one hundred years."

"I wanna be a hundred!" Gabriel exclaimed. "1-0-0!"

The Doctor just smiled and bounced the boy, wishing his son would get his wish.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all are enjoying this story so far :D Gotta say, I think it's my favourite thus far. Thanks for the kind reviews left so far :D I'd love to hear opinions, comments and theories! Seriously. I live for feedback.


	5. Can We Go?

"Daddy?"

Receiving no response from the reading Time Lord, the young child frowned. He wasn't accustomed to this. Usually, whenever he spoke, his father would eagerly take in every word. He was the center of his father's universe, and he knew it. He relished it. He sometimes exploited it.

He didn't like being ignored, or unheard.

This had become common over the last few days. His dad would come back from working with the human captain, swing him around or talk to him for a while, and then he'd retreat into his own mind. Gabriel knew that he liked to think a lot - after all, so did the boy himself - but he didn't understand why his father was thinking so much lately. What was there to think about here?

He didn't even know why they were still here. The man who stayed with him all day was mean and boring, and all he ever did was just stand there. Sometimes he would sit at the desk and pretend to be working on something. Gabriel knew better. The man just didn't want to talk to him, which was fine with the boy. He didn't want to talk to him either.

The mud had been fun the first few days, and he did like mud, but even that had now lost it's joy. It wouldn't be so bad if there were colour here; bright colours. How the young heart longed for colours. The brightest colour here was the blue of the Tardis.

That was another thing the boy didn't understand. Why was the Tardis just sitting in a corner, all locked up and alone? Since they were staying here, they colour still live aboard the Tardis. It had his room. It had his toys. It had his bed.

And there were colours there.

"Dad_dy_," he tried again, stretching out the last syllable with an impatient whine and tugging on the brown fabric of his father's jacket. This time, the Doctor looked up. Or rather, down; down at the brilliant, inquisitive eyes staring back up at him.

"Yes, Gabey?" he answered, not setting down the newspapers he had been going over. He had hoped that perhaps there would have been mention of more sleeping dead from somewhere else, or another sign to point him closer to the culprit. So far, no success.

"When can we go?" Gabriel asked, rising up to his tip toes to try to read the newsprint spread over the desk. Reading was an art he hadn't yet quite mastered, but he was proud of the words he did know. Showing off to his father and getting praise was something he enjoyed quite immensely.

"Go where?" The Doctor asked absently, reading over the headlines on the following page. There still wasn't anything that stood out.

"To somewhere fun and colourful."

The Doctor stopped. Setting down the paper, he took off his glasses and looked at his son sadly. Gabriel's inquiring and wonderful eyes looked back at him, pleading to leave, yet with little understanding of the situation. How he wished he could make the boy understand, yet at the same time he hoped that Gabriel never would.

He didn't speak, but smiled sadly and scooped the four year old into his arms and lifted him onto his lap. Holding him close, the Doctor closed his eyes and wished that leaving were as simple as his son seemed to think.

Gabriel frowned, but was quiet and still. He had his father's attention, which he liked, but he still hadn't been answered.

He didn't like that.

* * *

"I've talked to all the men here," Jacob stated, handing a notebook to the Doctor, who took it. "I told them I needed their background information for files the government was collecting. I can't believe one of them is an impostor."

The Doctor flipped over the first page, his eyes scanning the messy scrawl. Writing legibly wasn't one of Captain Turner's strong points. "One of them is."

"Their stories are solid, the information is detailed," Jacob argued, but the Doctor nodded.

"Which we expected. These aliens are clever. Do you really think they wouldn't be prepared to answer such questions after going through the trouble of disguising themselves to look like you?" The Doctor asked, flipping over another page. "Their purpose is to get you to trust them."

"All of them have full names, parents, siblings, girls, wives, some even have children!" The Doctor pitied them especially; the thought of never seeing your child again was terrible, the reality was even worse. This he knew from experience. "I have dates, medical history, dates of births, weddings…"

"And one of them might be too perfect," The Doctor stated, reading through the writing but not absorbing the bulk of it. "It really is quite difficult to tell them apart."

Children. Gabriel. His little angel. The mention of children had only reminded him of the very thing he'd been trying to forget.

He could still lose him. Yet, he couldn't leave this era. He was needed here, yet Gabriel needed him too. Could he abandon these poor people just to keep his son safe? He loved humans, but his son definitely took priority above anything else.

Yet he couldn't leave them. He could however spend more time with his little boy.

He glanced out the door. The daylight was fading fast as night approached once more. Maybe tonight, if it seemed safe enough, he'd take Gabriel to another spot where he'd be able to see the stars. Maybe the child would even remember some of the ones he'd seen closer.

He stood. "I'm going to take this back to where we're staying. I'd like to be with my son, and it is getting late."

* * *

It was later then he had thought.

Walking through the doorway, he saw the young, action thirsty soldier asleep at the desk. His thin chest heaved up and down with slow, deep breaths from being lost in a deep slumber. The Doctor frowned. Well, at least the desk was by the door. If someone came in intending to do harm, the soldier would be noticed first.

Around the corner, Gabriel lay asleep too. By the candlelight, the Doctor smiled at the sight of his son's dimly lit face. He'd never tire of seeing Gabriel asleep. Ever. He had hoped that the boy would be awake, but he didn't dare disturb the boy's sleep.

Every time he blinked, the tiny Time Lord seemed to be just a little bit bigger, just a little bit older. With each day that crept by, he could see more of himself showing through in the young boy, yet he could see Missy as well. More thrilling still, he loved whenever Gabriel drew his own conclusions, formed his own ideas as to how the world and universe should be.

As much as it excited him to see the person his son was becoming, he wished he could stall time every so often. Just for a little while, just so he could enjoy the age his son was for just a little long. But he couldn't do that to his boy. It wouldn't be fair.

With a smile, he tenderly brushed Gabriel's bangs away from his forehead.

The smile disappeared immediately.

He pressed his palm against the boy's forehead.

Ice cold.

Gabriel didn't stir.

The whole dug out heard his anguished screams.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long D: Gabriel's been really hard to write lately. That, and my mind's been taken over by Merlin stories. If you like Merlin, check em out :D


	6. I Will Find You

"What did you do?" The Doctor demanded fiercely, yanking the sleeping soldier up from his slumber and throwing him against the wall. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"What-what do you mean?" He stuttered back, his young eyes wide with panic.

The Doctor snarled, rage and grief pulsing through every vein in his body as he clutched the man's collar. "What did you do to my son?!"

"I-nothing!" The soldier insisted, using his hands to try to pull away from the Doctor's murderous grip. "Nothing! I swear!" Trying desperately to free himself, he kicked his legs, but the Time Lord held on.

"Who are you?" He demanded darkly.

"What?" The soldier gasped.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"Ackart. Paul Ackart!" The soldier squirmed beneath the Time Lord's iron grasp, trying to keep himself from being suffocated. "I don't even know what's going on. What is going on?"

"Doctor!" The captain's voice boomed behind him. "Let go of my man!"

The Doctor made a noise in response but kept his grip, staring the terrified soldier down.

"Doctor!" The captain yelled again. "I have a gun, do not make me use it. I will use it without hesitation."

This time, the Doctor trembled and dropped the man down as a shaky breath escaped him. Paul cowered for a moment, fearful of what the man in front of him may still do. As if forgetting the man on the ground, the Doctor turned with mournful eyes to the Captain who still had aim, then looked to the child on the bed.

"It got him," he stated, wiping his eyes with his hand. "It's got Gabriel." Narrowing his eyes, he looked at each face in the room carefully. Suddenly, it had become quite full of people, all gathered to find out what had happened. "LISTEN TO ME, LISTEN TO ME ALL OF YOU!" He bellowed, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I WILL FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, AND WHEN I DO, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Doctor," Jacob stepped up behind him after securing his weapon and took the grieving father by the shoulder. "You should come with me." While his voice was sympathetic, there was an unmistakable edge which made it more of an order then a suggestion. "Ackart, get the boy to quarantine," he commanded, shooting a look to the soldier still seated on the ground.

"No," the Doctor pushed the young Captain away and looked back to the bed. "I'll take him."

"Doctor, he's infected," the captain reminded him.

"He's also my son, and the only thing that matters to me," the Doctor replied, his voice daring the Captain to stop him.

No one moved, so he stepped up to the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Gabey," he whispered, tears running down his face as he tenderly brushed the boy's sandy bangs from his tiny eyelids. "I let you down" Carefully, as though it would be possible to wake him, he slid his arms beneath the limp body and lifted him up. Holding him close, he pressed his forehead to Gabriel's, hoping to feel some sign of life. No tiny, warm breath escaped to touch his face. No warmth was left at all in Gabriel's skin, aside from his father's tears that had fallen against his cheek. There was nothing at all, though he knew the boy still barely lived.

They would pay.

If he lost his son, their entire race would pay.

Looking ahead as though seeing none of the clustered men, the Doctor straightened up and carried his limp son to the quarantine.

* * *

No one had dared to talk to him.

By the time he had returned, the men had returned to wherever they had come from. Those who saw him walking back watched him carefully, but lowered their eyes if he looked back to them. He didn't care. All he knew was that one of them was guilty, and he was going to find them.

Sitting back down on Gabriel's bunk, the Doctor looked at it remorsefully. Gabriel was younger then those who had been taken so far. Why had it gone after him? The boy was of no value to an alien trying to invade the race. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. It didn't make sense. However, since the boy was so much younger, he likely had less time then those taken before him. Adult humans could theoretically survive up to two months after being infected. Children Gabriel's age? Maybe a few days. A Time Lord Gabriel's age? Maybe a week longer.

It didn't help that he didn't know what exactly his son was. He had theories, but theories needed to be proven. He hadn't tested the boy yet as he wanted to wait until the boy was just a bit older before anything. Gabriel had two hearts, that much was certain. He likely had a little longer then a human child, but there was no saying if he had as long as a Time Lord child.

The Doctor stared hollowly in front of him, feeling as though there was a heavy weight in the air that had enveloped his entire being. Was this what Eilam had meant?

"Is this it?" He asked to the silence of the room, his throat swelling up once again and his voice raw. "Is this how I'm going to lose him? Is this how the prophecy is fulfilled?"

No answer came back to him, and he laughed bitterly to himself, running his hands through his hair. Salty tears still hung in his eyes, multiplying by the moment.

Gabriel was all he had left, and he had failed him. That little boy had looked up to him for protection and guidance, and he had failed him. He'd failed Missy too. Moments before her death, the Doctor had promised to look after their new son. Now, the boy lay unconscious in a room filled with slowly dying men.

He had failed.

However, he couldn't stay here and feel sorry for himself, not while there was still a chance at saving both the men and Gabriel. No, he had to go and find who was responsible, and make them pay.

Oh, how he would make them pay.

Taking a deep breath and wiping away his tears for the final time, the Time Lord rose to his feet and swept out the door with a determination and unstoppableness that nothing could break.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took me so long. Again. Currently, my mind is ahead in the story D: So far ahead. My mind is with something fun and colourful. Well, actually something angry and colourful.

You'll understand in the story following this one, I promise ;D In the mean time, feed a review junkie? R and R? Please? :D


	7. For A Moment of Luck

Day one.

The Doctor worked furiously, delving into all the records they had on hand. On fire with determination from his fresh wound, he felt unstoppable. The answer lay somewhere within the documents he had spread about on the wooden table before him, and he was going to find it. He was. He had to. Too much depended on him for him to fail again.

"Doctor."

He barely glanced up from the paper he was reading to see the Captain standing nearby. "Yes?" The phrase came out more as a statement than a question. As silly as he knew it was, he blamed the Captain partially for what had happened to Gabriel. It wasn't the man's fault, truly, and he knew it, but knowing this didn't wake up his little boy.

"I'm truly sorry about your son," The captain held his eyes to the ground, but stood as a proper soldier should. "He seemed like a bright boy…"

"He is." The Doctor interjected.

"And I hope you can save him," Jacob finished. "He and my men."

"I will."

"I am not the best with consolation," Jacob admitted, holding his hands behind his back, "however there is one here in our camp who is. I've yet to see him fail at bringing a smile."

The Doctor tried not to scoff. The man meant well, but nothing could soothe a father's vengeance. Nothing.

The Captain whistled, and a small, shaggy brown dog raced into the room, leaping up on the Time Lord's lap, panting and begging for attention. The Doctor looked at it, and it back to the Doctor with large, near black eyes.

Well, this hadn't been what he was expecting.

"Where…" The Doctor started to ask, but the blonde was shaking his head.

"I don't know where he came from. He just wandered into one of the bunks one day, and he's stayed with us ever since." The man sighed and crossed his arms. "I don't know why. There's not much food here, and it gets awfully cold."

As if understanding, the Doctor stared into the mutt's eyes before slowly lifting a hand and scratching it's floppy ear gently. "Perhaps he's realized that loneliness is truly the worst feeling of all. There's attention here. There's love here."

The dog panted happily, leaning into the attention.

"He stays because it's better then being on his own, travelling from place to place, never knowing where he might end up."

Jacob watched the dark haired man with a sombre curiosity. "Were you alone long, Doctor?"

The Time Lord nodded. "It's terrible," he whispered, and cleared his throat. "Sure, I had a companion, usually human, with me from time to time… but no one stayed long. No one could stay." He sighed, as though thinking of something long ago.

"Gabriel changed that." The Captain observed, beginning to understand more.

The Doctor nodded, and the dog on his lap curled up to sleep. Unknowingly, a tiny smile flittered across his face as he looked down to the sleeping mutt.

"He never fails to make even the most heartbroken smile," The Captain smiled, turning to leave. "That's why the men have taken to calling him Lucky. Holding him for a while apparently makes them feel lucky… if only for a moment."

"He doesn't for you?" The Doctor asked, and the Captain looked back and shook his head.

"I can't touch him. I have an allergy to dogs. They make my eyes burn," he explained, "but I'll be honest; I wish he could make me feel lucky."

"If only for a moment," the Doctor murmured.

* * *

The soft humming of his sonic screwdriver filled the still, empty air. Outside the room, there were yells, and distant gunfire, but inside the room was different. Eight people in the room, yet no one made a sound. The only movement was the Doctor, slowly running the tool along each one in turn.

When he finished one man, he moved on to the next.

His mind was a blaze. Perhaps there was something he had missed on those affected. Maybe there was a trace on one of them - more if he was lucky - about who had caused this. All he knew for sure is that it was someone all of them trusted. If the man hadn't been lying a few feet away, the Doctor would have suspected their medical officer.

But no. He looked over his shoulder to the tiny body not far away. This man had to be someone they all trusted, including his son. Who would Gabriel have trusted?

Moving on to the next man, the Doctor started his screwdriver, but turned it off with a heavy sigh. The body before him was the first man to be infected. Taking the sheet that was covering him, the Doctor pulled it up over the man's face. The first to be infected, and the first to die.

Walking over to the littlest one of the victims, the Doctor leaned down and looked at him sadly. The vibrant colours the boy wore only contrasted against the lack of life within him. The day this happened, Gabriel had chosen to be really colourful; blue suit, orange shirt, neon green tie. Even his little socks were bright red.

The Doctor ran his hand through the boy's hair, keeping it away from his eyes. Funny, even when the boy was near lifeless, his hair still had a way of going everywhere. Yet, the urge to cut it for him was gone. Somehow, the wild hair just made the tiny Time Lord who he was.

He missed him so. Everything within him ached to see the boy's eyes flutter open, to see a smile too big for his small face break out, to hear him laugh, to hear him talk. Just to hear him breathe.

Raising his own hand, the Doctor looked at it sadly, but with a mix of expectancy. It was beginning to tingle, as though falling asleep, which, he supposed, was exactly what it was doing. It would take longer to take effect on him then on a human.

But now, the time he had to find it grew even shorter.


End file.
